You Really, Really Want To See Chambers Bay

I thought the poll question from earlier this week was a loaded one, what with The Old Course hosting The Open this year.

But with 715 votes 47% of you said Chambers Bay was the most anticipated major venue of 2015, followed by St. Andrews at 27%. And the quick return to Whistling Straits has almost none of you excited.

Certainly there is a mysterious quality to Chambers Bay and how the entire thing will work (or not), from the conditioning to the setup to the logistics to the first Fox telecast. As always, thanks for voting.

The Open Unveils New "Brand Identity" Which Is A Nice Way Of Saying They Finally Dumped That Awful Logo

Sam Weinman gives the new Open Championship logo a thumb's up in reporting on the R&A's unveiling of a new "brand identity" and I'd go a step further and say the move goes form a genuinely hellaciously awful logo to something that, with a simple font change, finally captures the aura of The Open (and that you wouldn't be embarrassed to wear on a cap).

The R&A's release on the new logo. The rationale:

Designed to capture all the defining attributes of The Open and to communicate the Championship's unique heritage to golf fans the world over, the new brand identity was delivered by two London agencies, teamup and Designwerk, who have created brand identities for some of the world's leading sporting properties.

It took two agencies to figure out a better font? Oh well, whatever it takes as long as we aren't paying for it.

Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We know that fans of The Open share a tremendously strong connection with the Championship.  The new branding celebrates the values long associated with The Open, the inspiration provided by great champions, the authentic and unrelenting challenge of links golf and the openness of our unique championship.

“The Open has enjoyed great success for more than 150 years and strengthening its brand will help to ensure its appeal continues to grow over the decades ahead.  We believe the new branding will reflect an enhanced experience for the millions of golf fans who support The Open.”

Strengthening the brand=new and improved font. What a world.

There's some other particularly juicy jargon in the release about brand equity, the brand story, brand expression...oh screw it, you don't believe me do you?

Fred Popp, Chief Executive of teamup, said, “The Open has tremendous brand equity and is one of the world’s most cherished sporting events.  Through its steadfast commitment to identifying the Champion Golfer of the Year, The Open is a celebration of golf in its purest form.

“As The Open’s lead brand agency, our work included the development of the brand story, definition of the brand expression and the resulting logo that delivers on the Championship’s rich history and heritage, fit for audiences in the digital age.  teamup is thrilled to have played a part in helping The Open further strengthen its ambition and unshakable commitment to the sport and fans of golf everywhere.”

Just a babbling brook of...

Anyway, The Open is sporting a new and much improved font. We're in!

The old one, lest you forget...

If you have three minutes of your life you'd like to never have back, there's also a brand identity launching video.